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Saturday 29 March 2008

Nursery Trilliums

My post is not about information on our native flower of Ontario. Crafty Gardener from the Garden Side http://craftygardener.blogspot.com/2008/03/trillium.html has already done a wonderful job with that. I just wanted to add that good nurseries, who abide by ethics, and provincial laws, can sell copies ? clones ? of beautiful native flowers that should never be taken from their natural environment. I have grown these white Trilliums for a couple of years now. Morning sun .. afternoon shade .. light acidic soil .. with ferns and mugo pine .. some what the same setting for it in nature .. The white is much hardier and robust looking than the delicate red. I don't have a picture of the red I grow .. but this is my white. The flower is lovely and large. I look forward to seeing them every Spring.
Since I am originally from the east coast .. Nova Scotia, I feel the need to split my patronage and mention Jodi's post on the May Flower .. http://bloomingwriter.blogspot.com/2008/03/our-provincial-flower-mayflower.html .. the other love of my life. Once you have caught its scent, you never forget. Something like the sea for me.

17 comments:

Gail said...

oy,
Trilliums are lovely...I don't have either of the ones you mention, just one with a yellow flower and one with a purplish flower....don't you love the latin!
I would look them up but I am in a hotel room!

Take care,

Gail

Aunt Debbi/kurts mom said...

How pretty. I bet we can't grow that here because of the heat:(

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Debbie .. my god girl ... what CAN you grow there besides monkeys ? LOL .. sorry .. but I thought I had problems growing things I like .. but you are worse off than I am girl !

Gail .. if you could only hear me laughing .. so many jokes .. and so little comment room here .. plus your iffy connection .. I love Latin names too .. how many do you see me using ? LOL .. I recognize a lot of them but do NOT ask me to actually use them !
Hope the trip is working out .. sneak some goodies to snack on .. coffee and chocolate ! LOL

Unknown said...

Fun post, Joy, and thank you for the link. You've made a very good point about the plants--some nurseries propagate from seeds or cuttings and that's fine with me, too. I have white trillium and the yellow one (which isn't as showy as the white or red) that I got this way, and I dug my red ones out of a clearcut where I knew they wouldn't survive because of the lack of trees. I'd like to get the painted trillium too (white with wine markings around the centre) but unless the nursery I buy native plants from starts propagating it, I probably won't try growing it from seed myself.

Anonymous said...

I have just found your blog via Crafty Gardener, and just love your trilliums.
They are very popular here in the South Island of New Zealand, we must have just the right conditions for them.
The first time I ever saw them, my mother-in-law, had a beautiful garden, and often had visitors from overseas. She had two elderly American gentlemen visit in the early 60's when trilliums were not available in this country, and when they got home, send her seed, which she was very successful with. My trilliums originate from those seed.

Melanie Chopay said...

Joy, now there's something that I never even tried to grow! They are huge!!! I had no idea the flower would be that big...or are you hands teeny weeny :-)

Lovely blooms.

Anonymous said...

These are so lovely.
Regards
karen

Gail said...

Back in the hotel, I had some %85 chocolate....boy is that chocolaty!

Ok visit with mom.

How are you and Sophie and Emma?

Gail

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Gail .. good percentage of chocolate going there ! I haven't had any in quite a few days .. since before Easter ? Yikes ! ..
I hear that "ok" is not too bad, in your typing .. that is a positive note ? ..
Up at 6 this morning with the "girls" again .. Sophie is still not letting her guard down but fascinated with the energy wraped in fur "aka Emma" .. a few more days she might sneak some fun in ? .. I like being up early .. but boy .. by 4 PM I'm tired ? LOL

Hi Karen .. thank you for stopping by .. they are nice aren't they !

melanie .. I'm 5'9" .. LOL .. hands not huge but not teenie : )
The flowers are BIG and last a long time. I do have plants that take over once this one begins to fade though. Have you asked about them in your area ?

Jean .. what an amazing story .. your conditions, I have heard, are very much like parts of Canada .. so you do have a chance to try out our type of plants .. growing the Trilliums from seed like that is a fantastic job .. well done !

Hi Jodi .. I wish I could do a better job with just a person's name highlight, to bring them to your site (I have to learn those tricks yet ) .. You did the right thing with the red ones .. that was a rescue mission ! .. I wish I could have more types too .. the Painted Trillium, yes .. I have seen pictures and wow .. and another yes, unless the nursery I buy from has them .. I won't be either .. but I think there are more "natives" coming on the market every year .. so fingers crossed : )

Unknown said...

I love trilliums. They grew all around my grandpa's house so they remind me of the good old days of youth. Somehow I don't remeber the blooms being so big though. Maybe it's my fading memory?

I've been thinking about getting some for this house. I sure wish there were a few already growing here in my woods!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Cinj .. there are different types of white Trilliums .. this is a large cultivar .. perhaps you grandfather hade the narural woods one .. do you like ferns at all ? .. they aren't a "flower' plant but they are wonderful .. I have a lot of different kinds .. well .. a lot for a small garden. One of my first awesome ones was "Lady in Red" .. a nice big fern with red stems ..

Unknown said...

Yes, they were natural woods trilliums at Grandpa's. I don't need all of my plants to flower. I like plants with interesting texture/color/... too.

Aiyana said...

This is a beautiful flower--and the leaves are also gorgeous. The conditions it requires would not work here. Can it be grown as a houseplant?
Aiyana

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Aiyana .. I have never heard of it surviving as a houseplant as of yet. It is tricky .. it needs the right woodland type conditions .. not as picky as my Blue poppy (Meconopsis) .. I tried for two years with that one. There is nothing THAT frustrating I'm sure ! LOL

Cinj ..then ferns would be great for a "lush" feel .. I was fern crazy for a few years .. even last year .. I planted quite a few.
I'm looking for a reasonably priced Jack-in-the-Pulipit Arisaema triphyllum, now .. where I will put it heaven knows.
Hey .. astilbe would be great for you too !

Unknown said...

Yup. I've got pland for astilbe already! They're lovely plants. I have a feeling it will take me several years to get it the way I want it though.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Cinj .. it takes a long time for a full garden .. and it is never finished .. there is always something to add or change .. I do love astilbe too .. so many different ones ! Great fun choosing : )

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous white trillium!